Chris Matthews Compares Bernie to Communist Dictators. Time to Fire Him
If you didn't watch the post-debate analysis last night on MsNBC (and why would you?) you missed gas-bag Chris Matthews comparing the Movement sparked by Bernie Sanders as the equivalent of the Soviet Union under Lenin and Stalin, or the Khmer Rouge, just waiting for our opportunity to execute him in Central Park. Really, he went there.
1/4 This is stochastic terrorism. @HardballChris is endangering @BernieSanders’ life. “I believe if Castro and the reds had won the Cold War there would be executions in Central Park and I could have been one of the ones getting executed.” #NotMeUs @MSNBC pic.twitter.com/irWwBzKMGW
— Clark Feels The Bern (@Clarknt67) February 8, 2020
MSNBC’s Chris Matthews freaked out at the prospect of Bernie Sanders becoming the 2020 Democratic nominee, warning that his views of socialism go back to the 1950s and that he believes he might’ve been a victim of “executions in Central Park” if “[Fidel] Castro and the Reds” had won the Cold War. [...]
“You know, I have my own views of the word socialist and I’ll be glad to tell them, share them with you in private,” Matthews said forcefully, right before sharing his views in public in an almost panicked, rat-a-tat-tat tone. “They go back to the early 1950s. I have an attitude about them. I remember the Cold War. I have an attitude towards Castro, and I believe if Castro and the Reds had won the Cold War, there would have been executions in Central Park and I might’ve been one of the ones executed and certain other people would be there cheering. So, I have a problem with people who took the other side.”
Matthews then turned his comments back to Sanders. “I don’t know who Bernie supports over these years. I don’t know what he means by socialism. One week it’s Den-mahk, we’re going to be like Den-mahk,” the MSNBC host said, lapsing into an impression of Sanders’ Brooklyn accent. “Ok, that’s harmless. That’s basically a capitalist country with a lot of good social programs. Den-mahk is harmless.”
“He’s clearly in the Denmark category,” [Chris} Hayes gently pointed out.
“Is he?!” Matthews shot back.
“Yeah,” Hayes replied.
“How do you know? Did he tell you that?” Matthews pressed.
This would be laughable, except that we all know such language influences delusional and often marginalized people to engage in violence, much as Trump has enabled white supremacist groups with his rhetoric. In short, Matthews is pulling a tactic out of the Hillary Clinton playbook, such as the time she referenced RFK's assassination as a reason not to concede the nomination to Barack Obama in 2008.
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04F4hIthQbU]
Relevant language:
Hillary Clinton today cited the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy during the 1968 presidential campaign to explain why she was remaining in the race despite long odds.
"We all remember Bobby Kennedy was assassinated in June in California," Clinton told the editorial board of a South Dakota newspaper. " I don't understand it," Clinton added, alluding to the calls for her to quit.
This type of inflammatory rhetoric has no place in our discourse, and the fact that neoliberal centrist hacks like Matthews are willing to use it to paint Bernie Sanders as a card carrying Communist whose election would lead to a dictatorial regime that imprisons and kills it's political opponents is worse than anything I've heard, and that includes GOP criticism of Sanders. In fact, in any other developed country, Sanders would be seen as a center left politician.
This is inevitable result of years of the media pushing the phony #Russiagate nonsense, and the labeling of anyone who doesn't agree with the Clinton/Obama wing of the Democratic party as a #RussianAsset or #PutinPuppet.
I hope Sanders' security detail on on high alert, because this is exactly the type of immoral, baseless ad hominem attack that can trigger unstable individuals to resort to violence if they perceive Sanders is a threat to their "way of life." It's not like we haven't seen similar hateful rhetoric trigger right wing terrorists from Timothy McVeigh to Eric Rudolph to James Adkisson, the man who shot up a Unitarian Universalist church in 2008.
Yet in the twilight of a two-term Republican presidency, the resident of a GOP-dominated state blamed liberal Democrats for his failures. Friends and neighbors said he extracted talking points from his copies of conservative tomes by Fox News luminaries like Bill O’Reilly, Sean Hannity and Bernard Goldberg.
Indeed, I can see little difference from the hate speech thrown around with reckless disregard by the aforementioned Fox News hosts and what Chris Matthews said last night. He should be fired, and MsNBC should apologize publicly to the Sanders' campaign for his undeniably unhinged commentary.
Should be fired, but, as we know, he won't be. MsNBC only fires anti-war anchors like Phil Donahue, a man of principle who was fired in part because of skullduggery by the same Chris Matthews who effectively compared Bernie to Castro, Stalin and Lenin.
Comments
There's a word for that
The word for the attitude of the early 1950s that he's describing is McCarthyism.
It's obvious that he's finally starting to feel frightened and uncertain about the future. Welcome to the real world, Chris Matthews.
"Don't go back to sleep ... Don't go back to sleep ... Don't go back to sleep."
~Rumi
"If you want revolution, be it."
~Caitlin Johnstone
This new cold war fear-mongering
is just another absurd attack to prevent Sanders from winning the nomination, but it is also a dangerous and ill-conceived strategy.
"You can't just leave those who created the problem in charge of the solution."---Tyree Scott
It's part of a larger strategy.
Bernie is merely viewed as a minor impediment to the larger strategy, which is to totally militarize the United States for the financial benefit of defense contractors. Any candidate that doesn't profess undying hatred for Russia and other "enemies", an unquestioning willingness to keep increasing the "defense" budget, and a rabid desire for more and better wars is on the target list.
It's stunning
the mileage that that preposterous Russia canard has gotten. Not that the pundit class hasn't been sweating it out to cement that lie, but that so many people believe it without any proof.
It took over a year for them to get a plurality to believe it
and that was with full saturation. I gotta say, I thought they'd failed. But I guess they knew that if they kept it up long enough, they had to succeed.
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
it's troubling
It'll only get worse in the general election. It'll stir up the armed crazies
Somebody get him another bottle.
Maybe if he drinks enough he'll pass out.
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
OK boomer
The world that he grew up in, and apparently still lives in, doesn't exist anymore. Can't wait for the day this coddled first-world consumer runs out of oxygen and stops poisoning the airwaves (my immediate thought on "I could be one of the ones being executed" was "and? Who the fuck would miss you?"). I can't fathom being this fearful of not-real things.
Boomer OK
My retirement plan is climate change
meaning I'm banking on the methane currently trapped under arctic ice to be released into the atmosphere when I'll be too old to work or participate in the water riots, while also solving the problems of unaffordable housing, unaffordable health care, and unaffordable food.
Ha.
Early termination has been my healthcare plan ever since Obamacare was enacted and I learned that my premiums + copays/deductibles would cost more than my annual income but I was considered too rich to qualify for a Medicaid or subsidized plan.
Obamacare is corporatist BS, but ...
To say that premiums + copays/deductibles would be greater than your income AND that you didn't qualify for a subsidized plan, sounds sketchy at best. In the first case, everyone with an income less than ~$60K qualified for subsidies restricting their premium costs to a percentage of their income. Your situation sounds like an edge case (no pun intended) of someone who consistently has very high medical costs and low income.
EDIT: I think that $60K limit was for a married couple. I don't know what it was for single people.
Numbers
The sole silver Obamacare plan offered in my area for my age and characteristics costs $850 per month, or $10,200 per year. The out of pocket maximum for deductible, coinsurance and co-pays is $8,200. Total: $18,400 per year.
boomer
We boomers are indeed great. But every generation has its bad apples.
"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar
"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides
That's absolutely true.
George W. Bush and Donald J. Trump, both first-year boomers born in 1946, spring immediately to mind. But Boomers are having less and less impact on the world. It's the next generations' turn to screw things up and take the blame.
That's where I'm at.
To paraphrase Steely Dan, The things you think are scary I can't understand.
A lot of boomers act like the climate change threat is the equivalent of a genuflection in church--the way you show that you aren't a Republican is by saying "I believe the science" with all the piety of a six-year-old learning her catechism. But there seems to be no sense that we are facing the end of human civilization, billions of needless deaths, an 80% extinction rate. No real fear.
A lot of boomers act like lining up NATO troops--including German troops!--on Russia's western border while our politicians constantly talk up what a threat Russia is and even say that we should treat "cyberattacks" the same as military attacks--is a correct and patriotic way to conduct ourselves in the world, ignoring the reckless endangerment that comes from such behavior, the way it inches the world closer to World War III, how likely it makes it that all of us will end up being shadows painted on the wall of some building.
Yet they're afraid of "Communists" lining up people like Chris Matthews in a park and shooting them?
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
The establishment all got the same memo
Even heard it from trumpet.
Bernie = communist
Try to sparse that one out.
A mind that does not detest bad government is foolish.
Do Americans understand the difference between
socialism and communism, and does anyone have a context for either that isn't the Cold War? I'm asking in good faith.
ETA: I'm asking because no one seems to be answering the "BUT HE'S A SOCIALIST!!1!" screeching that socialism exists every day: public schools, public libraries, parks and forests, roads and infrastructure, the fire department, and services that are being privatized, like the post and utilities, are more and more expensive for a worse service. Is this all not commonly understood?
Amerian media is a propaganda mill
So, no, most Americans do not know what the difference is between communism and socialism.
"You can't just leave those who created the problem in charge of the solution."---Tyree Scott
Thank you
Signed,
Le Frog, Canadian socialist who benefits from and appreciates socialism
God damn it--
I wish their context WERE the Cold War! It's the way they've (deliberately?) forgotten every lesson of the Cold War that enrages me! As a member of the other Cold War generation, I say WTF!?! And I hope every decent, independent-minded, honest, questioning Boomer joins me in that question!
This sort of shit would have been shoved to the margins as extremist nonsense even in the eighties--unless it came directly out of the mouth of Reagan himself, whose Teflon qualities made it impossible to criticize him for some reason (he was such a nice guy, dontcha know). This is Pat Buchanan-level bullshit! I know what rightists were saying back in the 80s about Russia, because I had a friend who was one. We had many debates on the Cold War, on nuclear arms, on proxy wars. But his position on nuclear arms was deterrence! His (horrible) position on proxy wars was that it made it possible for us not to have a catastrophic hot war between Russia and the U.S.! Nobody was arguing that nuclear superpowers should go to war, and nobody (except doofus Reagan, who thought it was funny to joke that he'd picked up the red phone and called in a nuclear strike on Moscow--on a live mike), but nobody was saying or doing shit that would upset the apple cart and bring about the end of human civilization! To do or say such shit immediately marginalized a person as a dangerous extremist.
Now, apparently, all the people who stood against such nonsense--and even against Reagan's "there's a bear in the woods" paranoid xenophobia--, all the people who spoke out against the gigantic military budgets, are advocating for worse than what their 80s opponents supported!
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
Considering many Americans
are all too happy to blame all the problems in this country on, oh I don't know, one generation or another, or "illegal" immigrants, or black people, or women, or Muslims, or whoever the current divide and conquer scapegoat is, why would you find it surprising in any way that most do not know the difference between communism and socialism? Considering also that blaming communism as the boogeyman goes back decades, generations if you will, instead of blaming the real enemy - the banks and the uber wealthy psychopathic class that outright owns this country - I don't know why anyone would be shocked that Americans have no clue where the real problem lies. And from what we see today, most will simply never grasp it and will go on fighting each other, but the blame for THAT is well shared by many "groups" in America as well as far too many other Western countries, and we should never forget that our owners like it this way because it WORKS for them.
Only a fool lets someone else tell him who his enemy is. Assata Shakur
They will attempt to frighten us into submission
Better unite around Buttigieg, whose promised policies are sometimes worse than Trump's practiced ones, because otherwise Chris Matthews will advocate more violence.
"Our Left is out to lunch" -- Richard Wolff
They should dump Repete Buttigieg and
form a ring around Klobuchar. They can better capture the "YASSSSS QUEEN!" Clinton bloc and fatigued minority votes without looking so blatantly nefarious. Running Bloomberg was a mistake too; he's too toxic now to even move him back into the shadows and quietly finance the shit show.
This piece by Nathan Robinson
"All About Pete," from the end of March 2019, summarizes Pete. There's also a recent sequel. Nothing you have seen of Pete adds anything new to these pieces.
"Our Left is out to lunch" -- Richard Wolff
They can hold their breath till I join them.
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
The Onion has been killing it
DNC Mulls Asking Donald Trump To Run As Democrat In Effort To Stop Sanders
Sanders Makes Last Minute Appeal To Moderates By Reminding Them All His Policies Would End Up Being Watered Down To Their Positions Anyway
Chris Matthews Warns Bernie Sanders Victory Runs Risk Of Making Him Look Stupid 2 Elections In A Row
Sanders Unveils Job-Training Program To Provide Meaningful Jobs To Low Skilled Op-Ed Writers
" In the beginning, the universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry, and is generally considered to have been a bad move. -- Douglas Adams, The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy "
#3 is perfect!
I wonder if we will see his head explode in rage on air soon!
Great essay, Steven.
I'm glad you're back. I enjoy your essays very much.
Thanks
Much appreciated.
"You can't just leave those who created the problem in charge of the solution."---Tyree Scott
I was disapointed in Bernie's response
to the socialist question in the debate.
He should always respond with " Anyone who questions social democracy is someone one who is looking to end Social Security for the elderly, the disabled, and widows. They plan to end Medicare for the sick, the poor, and the retired. All the social programs that make America great, our hiways and bridges, our power and water infrastructure, our schools and police, even our military are social and community funded programs that fall under the definition of Socialism."
Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.
Bingo
and the fact that this has to be explained in such simple terms is a huge problem.
My real point was
that Bernie needs to come off the defensive and go on offense. Paint those who seek to demonize socialism as people with an agenda to eliminate or privatize all the social programs that has MADE AMERICA GREAT, using the right wing vernacular in capital letters.
We are a republic with socialist characteristics, IMHO.
Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.
It's frustrating that he has to go on the offensive
because the basics of socialism currently in America aren't understood.
A grievous error,
is not an opinion, it is a well crafted summery of a description of the social construct known as the USofA.
RIP
My son lives in a town here in Massachusetts
which has a municipally owned electric utility. He says they use about 70 percenr solar power and the rates are lower than nearby communities. I said " See, that's socialism. Small-government socialism." The community providing a social good.
"When my wife makes Harvard beets they taste like they went to Brooklyn College. "-Henny Youngman
The state of Nebraska
has done better, which seems rather weird unless you know its history.
RIP
I had a slightly different take on Matthews
In that it's difficult to take anyone seriously who is metaphorically screaming "I'm relevant" at the the top of his lungs. Although, I also see your point about the consequences of inflammatory rhetoric. I guess it just depends on the lens one is viewing Matthews in the first place. Me? I can't take his bloviations any more seriously then I would the shit that flies out of Limbaugh's pie hole.
There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier
Unfortunately
all it takes is one unhinged, delusional and angry person to commit mass murder. All the right wing terrorists I mentioned were big fans of bloviators like Rush, Hannity, Beck and O'Reilly.
It seems Matthews is moving ever closer to their camp.
"You can't just leave those who created the problem in charge of the solution."---Tyree Scott
Not to give credit to those assholes
But Matthews is nowhere near their league of scope and fervent followers. To do that he'd have to do more then his self serving schtick of unconvincing man of principle. And he just ain't.
There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier
Time to check him out and in /nt
https://www.euronews.com/live
Well gee Mr. Matthews
what about the tens of thousands of US citizens that die every year, just because they can't afford so called health insurance? Might as well line them up in front of a firing squad, and pull the god damn trigger yourself Mr. Matthews!
It would probably be more humane, just to shoot people and not let them suffer, no? I mean come on, we let cancer patients subscribe to "treatments", but if you can't afford the cure, fuck it, just die you POS.
Of course there's a Montana GOP dirtbag, that thinks the "constitution" calls for jailing for shooting "Socialists". From the Hill
snip
If you're not educated in how to properly use fire arms for self defense, I suggest you get educated, and soon! I'm not advocating violence, I'm advocating for you doing what is necessary to protect you and yours.
C99, my refuge from an insane world. #ForceTheVote
Wait--
I thought Bernie was card-table guy.
Now he's Vladimir Lenin?
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
Seems a good time to re-post this:
If anyone knows how to download things from YouTube without infecting your computer with legions of crap, please let me know--there are fewer and fewer instances of this video that comes up over the last two years. It's really important that this information stay available.
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
And she is still stinkin' up the airways.
Thanks for stroll down memory lane. Nobody does righteous rants like Obermann.
Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.
Here's a decent
Youtuber video down loader here. It usually has 1 pop up ad, that opens another tab, but just click the tab closed and no worries, the initial page will have links to download the video.
C99, my refuge from an insane world. #ForceTheVote
Thanks, RR!
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
New Meme Idea: Send Social Democratic Vacation Photos To Chris M
Longtime lurker, new poster. Poor Chris Matthews (@HardballChris) is SCARED! For being such a rich guy, he must not get out much-- even I have been to a social-democratic paradise with Medicare for All already implemented (I flew coach to Toronto). My own senator @amyklobuchar is also scared, per yesterday's debate. Let's not mock them (okay, this idea sort of does mock them, but still). Let's be like Bernie and reassure them that it will all be okay. Tweet @HardballChris or @amyklobuchar with your vacation photos (or stock photos, since vacations are one of the things you might not get as a worker in America!) of such evil commie places as Canada, Sweden, Holland, the UK... well, actually, Costa Rica also has universal healthcare, and Mexico has a basic system as of a few years ago. Really, your options for picturesque resort photos from places with better healthcare than us are almost limitless! You can also e-mail Chris's handlers at lorie.acio@nbcuni.com, Nancy.Schwartz@nbcuni.com, or Katie.Cooper@nbcuni.com, with a positive message describing how one part of Bernie's program is already implemented in the place you depict, and yet, there are no breadlines or mass assassinations!
My letter and vacation pic -- Support the meme!
Thanks for the Meme tinywheels. I am in Australia now. Sending pics. Was looking for useful e-mail addresses. (I refuse to enter the Twitterverse... I use the web ... and e-mail)
Here is my e-mail!
Do not let the plutocrats divide us!
MSDNC will probably give him a promotion.
There's no smear to vile if the target is Bernie Sanders.
Thanks for the great essay, Steven D
Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.
I don't get the impression
that Sanders is ready to ship people off to the Gulag.
*But* that sentiment doesn't seem to be shared by some of those working on his campaign. As Project Veritas appears to have exposed.
Has Bernie disavowed this? Like he mostly failed to do with the DNC fake "Sanders supporters" that were trying to provoke (or actively engaging in) violence at 2016 Trump events?
This doesn't really seem like one of those "ignore it and it will go away" type situations.
Matthews probably realizes
Matthews probably realizes that some people, not Sanders, actually would like him publicly executed in Central Park. Myself, I'd prefer to just see him retired somewhere away from a microphone.